“But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 11:20 Mean?
"But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you." Jesus makes the LOGICAL argument: IF the power casting out demons is God's power (the finger of God), THEN the kingdom of God has ARRIVED — not approaching, not coming soon, but COME UPON YOU. The exorcisms are the EVIDENCE. The demon-evictions are the PROOF. The kingdom isn't announced by trumpets. It's announced by demons leaving. The finger of God at work is the kingdom of God present.
The phrase "the finger of God" (en daktylō theou — by/with the finger of God) echoes Exodus 8:19 where Pharaoh's magicians recognized God's power: 'this is the finger of God.' The 'finger' implies MINIMAL divine effort — not the hand, not the arm, just the FINGER. The power that casts out demons is God operating with His finger — the least amount of divine effort producing the maximum supernatural result. If the FINGER does this, imagine the hand.
The "the kingdom of God is come upon you" (ephthasen eph' hymas hē basileia tou theou — the kingdom of God has arrived/reached/overtaken upon you) uses a PAST-TENSE verb: has COME. Not 'will come.' Not 'is coming.' HAS COME — has arrived, has reached you, has overtaken you. The kingdom isn't a future event. It's a PRESENT REALITY. The demon-casting proves it's already here. The evidence is walking around demon-free.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Do you see the evidence of the kingdom that has ALREADY arrived — or are you still waiting for it?
- 2.What does the 'finger of God' (minimal effort, maximum result) teach about the power Jesus wields?
- 3.How does the kingdom being PAST TENSE (has come, not will come) change your expectations?
- 4.What demon-evictions in your life are evidence that the kingdom of God is present?
Devotional
If I cast out demons with the FINGER of God — then the kingdom of God HAS COME upon you. It's HERE. Not coming. Not approaching. HERE. The exorcisms are the proof. The demon-evictions are the evidence. The finger of God at work is the kingdom of God present.
The 'finger of God' is MINIMAL effort producing MAXIMUM result: not the hand of God. Not the arm of God. The FINGER. The least amount of divine engagement. And with just the finger, demons flee. The implication: if God's FINGER does this, what does God's HAND do? What does God's ARM accomplish? The power Jesus displays is God operating at the LOWEST setting — and the lowest setting is enough to eject demons.
The 'finger of God' echoes EXODUS: Pharaoh's own magicians said 'this is the finger of God' when they couldn't replicate the plague of gnats (Exodus 8:19). The same language. The same recognition. The power that Egypt's best sorcerers couldn't match is the power Jesus operates with casually. The finger that defeated Pharaoh's magic defeats Satan's demons.
The 'kingdom of God is come UPON you' is PAST TENSE — already arrived: the verb ephthasen means 'has reached, has arrived at, has overtaken.' The kingdom isn't scheduled for later. It HAS COME. It's arrived AT you. It's UPON you. The exorcisms aren't promising a future kingdom. They're demonstrating a PRESENT one. Every demon that leaves is evidence that the kingdom is HERE.
Do you see the evidence — the demons leaving, the bondage breaking — and recognize the kingdom that HAS COME?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
When a strong man armed,.... By the strong man, is meant the devil; See Gill on Mat 12:29 and who may be said to be…
The substance of these verses we had in Mat 12:22, etc. Christ is here giving a general proof of his divine mission, by…
with the finger of God "Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God"Exo 8:19.
is come upon you The…
Cross References
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